Unique partnership between The Manchester College and The Chefs’ Forum sees Students work at James Martin Manchester.

The partnership was celebrated with a networking event held at James Martin Manchester on Monday 15th July 2019. Manchester College students joined Head Chef Doug Crampton in his kitchen for a day of work experience as students made and served canapés to nearly eighty top chefs and front of house professionals from across Manchester.

The day saw cookery demos by Doug, and Jonathon Bowers of University of West London as he showcased a Foie Royale and banana souffle – the ethical alternative to Foie Gras. Rhys Llywelyn of Hybu Cig Cymru also gave an introduction to Welsh lamb with a butchery and cookery demo from Harlech Fine Foods. Neve Fleetwood gave a fantastic fish filleting demo showcasing beautiful fresh fish as endorsed by celebrity chef Andrew Nutter.

Earlier this year a selection of students at The Manchester College were able to work with four nationally-renowned celebrity chefs to create a four-course menu for over 70 industry professionals and special guests. TV chef James Martin and Masterchef winner Simon Wood, Rochdale-based Andrew Nutter and Lisa Goodwin-Allen from the Michelin-starred Northcote restaurant donned their chef whites and worked with students at The Manchester College Openshaw campus.

The event raised over £3,000 for The Chefs’ Forum Educational Foundation CIC and resulted in work placements in prestigious kitchens for some of the students.

The follow-up event at James Martin Manchester gave the students excellent curriculum enrichment and Andy Tran secured his trial shift offered to him by James Martin at the Chefs’ Lunch held at the college. Andy impressed the celebrity chef so much that he was offered the coveted ‘star of the day’ accolade for excellence. He received a signed copy of James’ book and hopefully a job at his restaurant if his trial shift with Doug Crampton goes well!

From September onwards, Manchester College students will benefit from the expertise and inspiration of the country’s most experienced chefs as they visit the college as guest lecturers to deliver a culinary masterclass once a week throughout the new academic year. The students will also get the opportunity to visit the guest lecturers’ restaurants and secure work experience with them. The students are promised a curriculum that delivers a five-star service both on and off campus.

Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal at The Manchester College endorses the partnership:

“The Chefs’ Forum Academy will provide unrivalled access to boost our student’s curriculum and work experience. The academy will prepare them for a future in catering and hospitality with weekly access to established chefs, work placements and educational visits, providing a rich and exciting curriculum. We are delighted to be able to provide this experience for our students; preparing them for a future job placement in the catering industry and supporting a future generation of inspirational, creative and experienced chefs.”

The Chefs’ Forum Academy will work with The Manchester College students, to provide:

Weekly access to established chefs/ hospitality experts from across the UK

Work placements in prestigious hotels and restaurants

Open question and answer sessions with industry leaders

Educational visits to restaurants to benefit from good practice

Work experience at national events

Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum said:

“We’re delighted to be launching the third Chefs’ Forum Academy nationally with The Manchester College, as part of our roll-out strategy.

Local chefs’ interest in the academy has been unprecedented and it is great to see so many chefs interested in enriching the learning and teaching at the College. The Chefs’ Forum Academy concept works extremely well for all involved and secures the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals entering into the industry.

We’re thrilled that Lisa Goodwin-Allen and Simon Wood have pledged to become patrons of the Academy as a result of the fantastic lunch they worked on with The Manchester College students earlier this year”